Towel bar



Sept. 16, 1930.

v. E. STARNER 75,919

TOWEL BAR Filed Sept. 5, 1928 $6.10 fld.

m VE/V 7-0/2 V76 TOR SHEA/ER.

Patented Sept. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES vrcroa E. eras-nan, or BELL, CALIFORNIA TOWEL BAR Application filed September My invention relates to a towel bar and has for its principal object to generally improve upon the construction of towel bar disclosed in my copending application for i United States Letters Patent filed October 5, 1926, Serial Number 139,594.

Further objects of my invention are to provide simple and efiicient means for very firmly anchoring the post or base portion of the bar in the wall structure in order to impart to the fixture strength and stability and effectually preventing removal of the fixture unless the entire wall structure is torn away.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a towel bar that is capable of being easily and quickly installed for use and the anchoring means for the base or post of the bar being arranged so that no screws or other means of attachment are visible when the bar is properly applied for use, and further to construct the base or post of the bar so that it will readily correspond with the tile utilized on the surface of the wall to which the bar is applied.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a towel bar or rail of the character referred to that is inexpensive of manufacture, enables the towels or Wash clothes to be placed upon or removed from the bar by a movement lengthwise of said bar as distinguished from a vertical movement, and, further to provide a towel bar which, when properly constructed and installed presents a neat and finished appearance.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a towel supporting bar constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. r

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line H of Fig. 2.

Serial No. 384,056.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view, partly in section, of a modified form of the means utilized for anchoring the bar in the wall structure.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken lengthwise through the center of a modified form of the bar.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section showing a modified form of the post or base of the bar.

Fig. 10 is a detail section of a modified construction wherein a separately formed rail or bar is detachably connected to the post or base.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the central portion of a modified form of the towel bar.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings and particularly to the form of bar illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive,

1O designates a plate preferably formed of metal and said plate being preferably rectang gular in form and of such size as to combine readily with the standard sizes of tile that are utilized on the surface of bath rooms, washrooms and the like, and formed integral with and projecting rearwardly so from this plate are studs or fingers 11, preferably two in number, and said studs or fingers being provided with longitudinally disposed grooves 12. These studs or fingers are utilized for anchoring the base plate 10 to the wall, and in order to accomplish this result in a firm and substantial manner a horizontally disposed rail 1", preferably of wood, is arranged between and secured to a pair of wall studs S, and formed in the front portion of this rail 13 are bores or recesses 14 of sutficient size to receive the studs or fingers 11.

When the fixture is secured to the wall the bores 14 are filled with a suitable self-hardening plastic material, such as plaster of Paris or magnesite, and the studs or fingers are now inserted in said bores and the excess plastic material will squeeze forwardly through the grooves or channels 12 and when .100

the wall.

said plastic material becomes hard and set the plate will be very securely anchored to Inapplying the fixture to walls that are provided with tile surfaces the plate lies fiush'with the tile or takes the place of one or two of the standard sizes of tile.

Formed integral with and projecting forwardly from the center of the plate 10 is a. short horizontally disposed post or arm 15, tllQSEI-HIB being of inverted U-shapein cross section and formed integral with the outer end of this post or arm is a box-like head 16 open at its lower enda-nd the outer faces of the upper andouter walls of this head may bejornarnented if desired. 7

Formed integral with the head 16'and projecting in' opposite directions therefrom are inverted.channehshaped railsl7 that occupy the same horizontal plane and said ralls are spaced apart a distance otthree or four inches from the surface of the wall to which plate 10 is secured. vThe ends of the rai larged to form. hollow heads 18 which may be ornamented it desired, and these heads are spaced'apart fromthesurface of the wallto" which thefixtureis secured, thereby enabling towels, wash cloths and the like to be pos1-' tion'edbpon. or removed trom the. rails by movements longitudinally relative thereto as distinguished from vertical movements and thus any one towel or cloth maybe readily removed without di turbing the othertowels 1. or cloths that are suspended upon the rail and thereforethere is little tendency of dislod in those towels or cloths thatreniam on the rail while one cloth or towel is being removed.

While I have shown a fixture having two I identical bars 17 projecting in opposite directions from the head. 16 to the post or base oi the device, it will be understood that in someinstances itmay be found desirable to dispense with one bar "or rail and thus'produce a fixture having but one bar or rail that" -pro]ects horizontally iroin tne base of the Formed throu h thecentral aortion oi": the.

plate 10 and beneath the inverted channelshaped arm is anapcrture 19 fort-he reception of a screw 20; which latter when seated in the central QOItlOH of the rail 13 provides additional means for anchoringth'e I fixture to s the wall and consequently 'producing a 5 strong and. substantial structure that will supportzconsiderable weight (see Fig; In Fig. 6 I have shown aunetal plate'or :bar i2l that i may have 1 its ends-secured by means of screws 221mg. pair ofathe wa'll studs S, and-which plate or bar..carriesfai pair ot erearwardly projecting tubular sockets-23 that are ad-aptedto receive the'fin'gers or stucls'dl. 'This plate ma-ygbe used for :anchoring the fixture: zwh'ere it iis r-mma impractical to place ls 17 are slightly on v of the pin orpos t 12% a blockisuch as 13 between the wall studs.

The plate 21 maytake the place of a single 1 f lath and when properly set and thetubular members are filled with hardening plastic material thestuds'll on the fixture are insertedin the sockets.

'l his construction ,may be lIUlIZGd'WhEI'G the building is already lathed and ready for;

the plastering or tile,- and under such condit onsit would be necessary to'remove several laths'in order to permit the nailing of a block 13between a pair of the wall studs. The use ed channel-shaped rails and post may bere inforced "by being filled with self-hardening plastic material such. as plaster of Paris or.

nagnesite in which may be imbedded reinforcingmembers 2&which may be metal rods orwires. 7 1

In Fig.9 I have shown the base plate 10 as being provided on'its rear side withintegrally formed spacedplates 25 that are adapted to straddlean upright member-such as oneof the wall studs and said plates being reinforced by integrally formed webs .26.

Where this-construction is" usedka screw 27 passes through the plate lOlintothe WallTstud' between the plates 25, thereby veryfsecurely and rigidly anchoringtl'le fixture to the wall structure.

In Fig. 10 I have illustrated a construction 7 that may be employed where a supporting rail or bar of extra length is desired, and in -.this construction the head 16 .that'is formed on the outer endoi the arm-leis provided" with an lnternally'arranged' stud 28 that depends from the top plate ofsaid head,said

stud being provided with a threaded recess i r 29. The end of a longrail 30 of wood, glass or metal is positioned within-the head 16, said rail being recesse'dfor the reception of the stud 28 and ascrew 31 passes upwardly through the end portion ofthe rail 130' into the threaded aperture 29, thusfirmlysecurins: the rail to the supportinglarm'.

In Fig. 11 I have illnstrated'a form ofbar whereinthe base plate 10 is provided with a single rearwardly projecting pin or post 12*, and which latter is inserted in an 'aperturre that is formed inone ofithe iwall 'stusds rvThi's form of towel bar (may.be appliedsto'g a wal l after the 'XSZIInG-YI IHS been covered with l ath" andplaster by merely-borin g a? singlehole fill one of the wall studs for accommodat" Among the especially desirableffeatu my improved towelbar-"is" [the torniatibii of the bar audits base in ngle piec s-reby avoiding 'assemblmg nations a I. P vidmg a supportingiir'ail w-rthout y nts or seams that would otherwise detract from its appearance. The inverted channel shape of the bar or rail eliminates the necessity for core work in casting and all mechanical work with the exception of the drilling of the screw hole 19 in the base plate is eliminated.

The bar when properly constructed and positioned for use has great strength, presents a neat and finished appearance, annot be removed without tearing away a considerable portion of the wall, and as the single bar is opened at one end and the double bar open at both ends, towels and the like may be readily removed without danger of accidental displacement of the adjacent towels or wash cloths.

My improved towel bar may be conveniently employed for supporting roller towels.

Owing to the inverted channel shape of the bar or rail it is possible to construct the same of porcelain or the like and to fire the same without warping, which latter operation is accomplished by mounting the bar or rail so that the chamber within same receives and rests upon a form for the full length of the bar. Obviously if the bar were not of inverted channel shape form the same could not be placed on a support for firing.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved towel bar may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A towel bar comprising a plate, a short inverted channel-shaped arm formed integral with and projecting outwardly from one side of said plate, an inverted channel-shaped rail formed integral with and projecting laterally in both directions from the outer end of said arm, and there being an aperture formed through said plate within the area surrounded by said channel shaped arm.

2. A towel bar comprising a plate, a short inverted channel-shaped arm formed intogral with and projecting outwardly from one side of said plate, an inverted channel-shaped rail formed integral with and projecting laterally in both directions from the outer end of said arm, there being an aperture formed through said plate within the area surrounded by said channel-shaped arm, and a pair of anchoring members formed integral with and projecting rearwardly from said plate to the sides of said aperture.

3. In a towel bar, a plate provided with an aperture, a pair of spaced anchoring members formed integral with and projecting rearwardly from said plate, a short inverted channel-shaped arm projecting forwardly from the central portion of said plate directly above the aperture therein, and an inverted channel shaped rail formed integral with and projecting laterally in both directions from the forward portion of said arm.

t. In a towel bar, a plate provided with an aperture, a pair-of spaced anchoring members formed integral with and projecting rearwardly from said plate, a short inverted channel-shaped arm projecting forwardly from the central portion of said plate directly over the aperture therein, and an inverted channel shaped rail formed integral with and projecting laterally in both directions from the forward portion of said arm, which rail occupies a plane in front of and parallel with said plate.

5. The combination with a wall member in which is formed a recess, of a plate adapted to be positioned on the surface of the wall, a member projecting rearwardly from said plate and occupying the recess in said wall member, a short inverted channel-shaped arm projecting forwardly from said plate, there being an aperture formed through said plate directly beneath said inverted channel shaped arm, and a horizontally disposed rail formed integral with and projecting laterally in both directions from said arm.

6. The combination with a wall member in which is formed a recess, of a plate adapted to be positioned on the surface of the wall, a member projecting rearwardly from said plate and occupying the recess in said wall member, a short inverted channel-shaped arm projecting forwardly from said plate, there being an aperture formed through said plate directly beneath said arm, a horizontally disposed rail formed integral with and projecting laterally in both directions from said arm, and fastening means passing through the aperture in said plate and seated in said wall member.

7 A towel bar comprising a plate, a short inverted channel-shaped arm formed integral with and projecting forwardly from the front face of said plate, there being an aperture formed through said plate between the side walls of said inverted channel shaped arm, an inverted channel-shaped rail formed integral with and projecting laterally in both directions from the outer portion of said arm, and a pair of fluted anchoring members formed integral with and projecting rearwardly from said plate to the side of the aperture therein.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

VICTOR E. STARNER.

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